Ladurée: Galette Capucine

As planned, ran to Ginza Mitsukoshi to visit Ladurée. I tried to do some harder running in some parts, to actually build some muscle, though not in any systematic way. Maybe I'll actually use the timer of my watch running tomorrow, as the planned destination is rather close. Ran back, not trying to be so fast.

I chose Galette Capucine as the new cake to catch up this shop to the baseline for exceptional shops. Capucine is a type a flower, though I think the filling was mandarin. The cake is made of a rather dense pastry, so this was more like a pastry than cake, but I'll let them label it. Whatever it was, it was definitely excellent, so I'm happy that I promoted them and started visiting them again. Hope the other two below-water exceptional shops do as well.

Henri le Roux: Fondant Caramel C.B.S.

Monday, I did another long run, this time down to Shibuya Station, stopping at kilometer markers for my next long run in westernmost Jinguumae (1 and 5 Chou-me) and then swinging back north the long way around Yoyogi Park and Jinguu itself, verifying multiple markers in Shouto, Tomigaya, and Yoyogi. Along the way, I had a croissant from R Baker at the Toukyuu Food Show (which is part of a shopping area under Shibuya Station). It was a little bitter, though it didn't really look that burnt, and butterier than usual. It certainly was not overly bread-like (not being overly fluffy inside) and it was good, I guess, but it's not really the direction I'm looking for either (kind of greasy). Still two more bakeries there, though one only has had only croissants as pastries every time I've checked.

Tuesday, I got around to trying Henri le Roux's Fondant Caramel C.B.S., which is the closest they've gotten to fresh cake in more than a year. I think my microwave is too weak, as I did not get caramel oozing out the bottom from microwaving 15 seconds, just a sort of moist center (I think I should have unwrapped it first, too). It was still good. I did fewer kilometer markers today but repeated 6b, which is not very memorable, and did the ones in Yoyogi Park (where, despite blossoms being hard to find, revelers were still at it , including vomiting, though, not too near me this time) and next to it for the first time. Next time I finally get around to trying the new loop southwest of Shibuya Station, I think.

Les Cacaos: Tarte au Chocolat aux Framboises

Well, I decided that I had recovered from my cold and took a run. So far, so good. But it was pretty slow, averaging close to 9 km/h over about 21 km (it would have been shorter if I had followed the route, but I zigzagged at lot and overshot by one station). I feel looser now and got rid of the cramp I had picked up over a week of not running, but I probably should have stretched more and definitely should do some stretching tonight.

This was my third visit to Les Cacaos in Shinagawa-ku and I got their third fresh cake (though they have a few other things, such as a cream puff). Specifically, I got Tarte au Chocolat et aux Framboises (580 yen). Besides the solid chocolate and fresh raspberries, the tart shell was chocolate and the filling was raspberry ganache. It was definitely good, but not exciting. The shell was about the same thickness as the filling, which was not very strongly flavored with raspberry. Still an excellent shop, but I won't need to another cake from there for a while, with works out well with the depth of lineup. Maybe they'll have something new by the time I visit again, which probably isn't that long away long (months, not years).

For energy, I stopped on the way back at Dalloyau at Meguro Station (which does not currently have a café) and got Pain au Pistache et au Chocolat (or so I imagine it was named, but don't really recall; 281 yen), which was excellent, for having a strong pistachio taste, which it manages by having only a little chocolate, so I wouldn't mind if they upped the chocolate a little more. A superb place for pastries.